Summer Term Music and Music Exams Thread

[Wafflenose]

A new thread for a new term!

If you're a music parent, or music teacher, please introduce yourselves here. It was getting hard to keep track on the old thread.

I am a music teacher (woodwind, 90% recorders these days) and I have:

DD1 (aged 8) who is taking Grade 5 Recorder this term, currently working towards Grade 4 Flute, and also sings, plays the piano and one tune on the ukulele (no lessons on these three). She has completed a video audition for the South West Music School, but we won't hear yet, and quite honestly, I don't think she'll get in this year.

DD2 (aged 5) who is taking Initial Grade Recorder this term, started the cello a month ago, and can play a few tiny, baby tunes on the piano and ukulele (again, no lessons on these).

I only have one pupil doing an exam this term, other than my girls - a Grade 2 Recorder player. I'm doing 11 Music Medals though.

My Dcs Junior school (state) has an fantastic reputation locally for music, they have an amazing curriculum leader in school who does fantastic things with them, but obviously that is possible because the head and governing body thing its important.

They are visiting and playing for other local schools currently to try and inspire other children to see what is possible.

And as already stated, my older DCs secondary is also amazing. It is out of catchment for us but well worth the bus fares. They have excellent well subsidized lessons in school, and it is compulsory to play in one of the big groups. DS1 is part of a programme with them visiting primary catchment schools and playing for them.

Our Music service went through a bit of a downturn locally a few years ago, I actually wrote to the LA (encouraged by the instrument teachers) the term there were no groups available except for the Grade 4 and above band. Since then the Junior group has started again and the Youth Orchestra which is developing from Junior to Senior, there are some very enthusiastic people involved.

We live in quite a remote, well spread out County, an hour away at least from any other kind of music provision so I think we are lucky to have the service we do.

Herc Really glad to hear your DD1 is home now.

Thea DD1 not auditioning, has another course NYRO week. She doesn't even fancy the playing day, as had so much on this term.

Ishouldbeweaving that sounds similar to DD1's previous school. when she left last year, 'orchestra' was down to about 8' with maybe 5 showing up regularly. But plenty of X-factor and BGT hopefuls. AS music didn't run this year due to lack of applicants

Will there be anyone left who actually wants to listen to classical music?

It's show week for us here. The DCs will be hearing the people sing all week and twice on Wednesday and Saturday. Luckily DD1 is all better - she would have been devastated if she had had to drop out. Bizarrely DS seems the most excited one, even though he is only background chorus at all times, whereas DD1 has a small feature part and DD2 has a bigger feature part. I'm very proud of DS though because it looked like being a bit out of his comfort zone (he enjoys stage acting but is less enamoured, usually, of MT) but he has completely embraced it, and really thrown himself into the whole process.

And after show week we have the small matter of DD2's piano and singing exams!

Theas - will your DD be going to recorderfest in Birmingham?

I have a daft question, didn't want to start a new thread and hope somebody in the know can help.

Ok, would you get marked down if you were playing a jazzy piece but not in the jazz exam and you were swinging and bending notes?

I have looked in the rules, policies etc and can't find the answer.
The piece involved she swings like a gud un but maybe not what they want to hear in a non jazz exam.

No, that should be fine. DD2 has done 'the jazzy piece' in her flute exams, and she has always 'swung' (jazz inégal) - I'm pretty sure the music gives that direction too (but can't check right now). She's done that for grade 3 and 4 flute certainly, possibly not grade 1 or 2, seems a long time ago (but only 2 years). DD2 is doing a jazz standard for her grade 8 singing, and she's swinging that. DS has had jazz pieces in his standard clarinet exams too, and swung them. But if you're not sure, have a listen to the CD.

Apparently tonight's show was a triumph. I'm not going till Friday, they should have ironed out issues with the fake blood by then.

DD1 had a reel in one of her very early recorder exams - poss grade 3 - and that was uneven too (not jazz tradition obvs, but it's the same difference really). She got a distinction so it was obviously ok.

Should be fine - it's expected, often specified, and I'd encourage my students to do so as stylistically appropriate.

OTOH, I was marked down in my grade 8 violin for playing Vivaldi with a) extremely little vibrato and b) loads of ornamentation. And I know it was that, because the mark was noticeably lower than my other pieces and I've always had good intonation etc. not used vibrato to disguise it! Think he just thought "Oh, she can't do vibrato in this one and doesn't know what the notes on the page are..."

BTW, having been unable to play the guitar... ever... despite trying periodically.... I have yesterday acquired a ukulele. Rock on 16 chords memorised in about an hour. That's 12 more than I could ever play on guitar! I find it hard to bar even on this diddy thing, though, so no wonder I struggled with guitar. It's counter-intuitive when one is so used to insisting on curved fingers!

There are apparently now RGT assessments up to grade 3, and some of the random exam boards do higher grades - the most reputable is VCM. Because, of course, this is a pragmatic 'people want lessons' move. I reckon I can learn to play reasonably over the summer.

Ah thanks for the replies, dh is trying to stop her from bending too much as he says it could sound out of tune.
His other students who play this piece are straightees and play it in a skipping do be doo way, but dd really razzes and does more like a doo wap and lays back on the beat.
Its "Rachel and the Boys" if anyone is familiar with it. A good contrast to Turkish Rondo and Show Stopping Sax. I love this syllabus.

I wish you were near us Julie, I know dd would love a jazzy violin teacher

A question for those who have children who do more than one instrument. DD plays violin so practises every day for about 90 minutes. She is starting piano, to help with her theory. How much practise do your children do, daily, on their second instrument?

Shaky, mine all play 2 or 3 and don't often do that much on the three together! They do play in a lot of bands though.

She plays in a string group and sings in choir too - for fun - but we don't count those as practise, as they are super easy. Pavlova - do your children do their other instruments daily? She can only manage 5-10 minutes daily on piano, and that's when she remembers, so often she is tired, as it's in the evening.

DS2 (11) is probably my best practiser.

He does piano most days, although usually in the morning. This started off as his first instrument, but I think trombone may take over.

Trombone should be 5 days a week, more likely 4. Plays in 3 bands including 2 hours in a challenging Concert Band where he is the youngest.

Clarinet he is not having lessons on at present, but practises the pieces for the school woodwind ensemble.

He is a chorister so after school until 7 x 2 evenings a week and most Sundays are completely taken up, plus he also has a singing lesson once a week.

He also fits in theory, and the work needed for his Voice for Life chorister training.

He could probably drop an instrument and go faster, but I don't think there is any rush.

All mine play more than 3 and none of them practise each instrument every day. But they do a decent chunk (depending on their level) each time they practise, so none of them would do as little as 10 mins on anything.

For reference, my girls are DD1 diploma level, grade 8 grade 8 grade 6; DS grade 5 grade 6 and 'for fun' and Dd2 is grade 5 grade 5 grade 5 grade 1. They are 16 (just), 14 and 10. So I think their progress is fine for their ages, really.

Thanks for your honesty. When I was diploma level, we had to do at least 2 hours a day on main on instrument at a good time of day. Second instrument was supposed to be 30 minutes daily but I found it hard to fit in. Maybe she should aim for less times a week and accept that it is a second.

Shaky

My dd is 10 and plays 5 instruments but only practices 3 including singing on a daily basis. Piano and clarinet are just for composing and fun.
She is also in 2 choirs, one of which is a very prestigious one and also ensemble and orchestra (county youth)
She works hard but music is her life, she's one of those you have to take an instrument off her before she goes to bed.
She practices for at least 2 hours a day, mostly it is between 4 and 5.
This is possible as she doesn't attend school.
I'm not sure she's the norm though.

Shaky,

If piano is just at a beginner level, then surely 10min a day is plenty. Unless being so intent on it catching up.

I think when I started piano (2nd instrument out of 2 at the time) I did around 30min on it compared to about 45-60min of violin (ca grade 6). Practise was 'most days' not every day. Orchestra counted for practice, school orchestra didn't. I was year 5 or 6, not quite sure.

At probably-diploma-thinking-about-music-college violin and grade 8 level piano it was 3 hours of violin and 90min of piano.

Potatoprints -

I forget whose children are which!

I'm reckoning I can use the jazz course (I totally use a book, it's a ready-made curriculum after all) from around grade 2 up - they need to be very secure in first position, nothing more fancy than that but with good musicianship. Been doing it for fun with an adult student who is still struggling with higher positions (wants to do grade 5, nowhere near ready).

Julie

What's the jazz course/ Is it expensive? DD is doing gr4 in July and has only ever played classical on violin. She does jazz on other things though, and was thinking it would inspire her a bit and her and dh could do some duets viledin and flute.

Shaky - our times match those of Julie's. Daughter's 2nd instrument is piano, circa 25 mins most mornings and violin about 50 mins most days unless she's had an hour lesson to offset. She's Y5.

Raspberry, thanks for the kind words on piano exam…we are still waiting for ABRSM results to come in.

Potatoprints -

I've been using a book called "Jazz Fiddle Wizard Junior" which is aimed at high school students who've been playing for a few years. It starts with simple rhythmic improvisation on the A-string, introduces the pentatonic scale D-F-G-A-C-D in first position (2nd back) in the second lesson, with an 'advanced' version of the same lesson using the full blues scale plus some jazz techniques. It comes with a CD which has backing tracks and stuff to copy or questions to answer, so could be done without a teacher but your DD would need adult guidance simply because of age, though not necessarily from her violin teacher (you can tell whether she copied stuff exactly, guide her through the instructions on the page etc.). There are a few pieces included but it focuses on improvisation, which is a skill most classical musicians don't have! Honestly, I've been using it for myself a bit, to help flute improv.

Book one is about £10 or so from Amazon, with the CD -make sure you get the 'junior' version as the adult version has waaaaaay too much pointless theory.

I'd also recommend "Jazz, Blues and Ragtime" and any similar books if it's simply a question of looking for pieces. She's at a level where the pieces will be accessible. But I think this is a really good course for introducing jazz improvisation, especially to string players.

DD1 has been looking at 'Improvise for real' (it's a book) and she is finding it really interesting. She does jazz syllabus piano anyway, but she has found this book really good. I haven't read it (can't prise it out of her grip) so I don't know if it actually IS any good.